Army Tank Birthday Cake Tutorial

This edition of Mmmmm Good Monday is construction instructions for an army tank birthday cake like this one!



There are lots of images of army tank cakes to be Googled. There are even some tutorials out there, but I found that they were all just smidgen vague for my liking. So, forgive me if I break it down too much I am not making any assumptions about your intelligence, it is more a reflection of mine! :)

Note*** I made this from a carrot cake bundt recipe. I cannot see why a regular double cake recipe would not suffice.

Materials:
For tank body:
Cake batter, your choice.
9x13" Cake pan (I used a glass lasagna pan)
4" Ramekin or oven proof dish with straight sides.

For accoutrements
Licorice cigar (cannon) You could always use a tube shaped biscotti)
Licorice pieces halved (tracks)
Circular sweets, I used chocolate covered mint patties (wheels)
Green plastic army guy(s)

Icing:
Your favourite icing recipe. (I used cream cheese because it was a carrot cake.)
Light green or yellow and light blue colour pastes to make a bright light green.
Black (or purple) icing colour paste.

Construction Instructions

Bake cake recipe according to instructions, but watch times because of the rammekin dish. Cut and assemble as pictured below.



Here is a picture of mine pre-icing. Mind the wooden skewer, I broke a corner off whilst removing the cake from the pan.



After the cake has cooled and you have cut and assembled it to something at least resembling the one pictured it is time to ice! First mix your green. Mine looked this at first (It was actually left over from those every cupcakes). Once you are happy with the green, add a little bit of dark purple (I used black) food colouring paste at a time. A little goes a long way and you want your icing to be army green, not grey (I assume.). You don't have to mix it all the way, it will blend itself as you apply it to the cake.

Spread it as evenly as possible. Leave the top of the turret until last. Cut a little hole out and insert a toy army man. Ice around him.I would have liked to smooth mine more but I didn't have the proper tool and really, I just got excited at how awesome the cake looked.



After you are satisfied with your icing job you can apply the wheels, tracks and cannon. I would take care to either leave the cannon as long as you can or insert it almost half way. It saves it from sagging down to the cake. (The cigars are a bit heavy.)

Last but not least, I have made up some cake flags. Cut out and glue together with toothpicks in between. These are great. This way you don't have to find somewhere to write on the tank. (But feel free as it is YOUR cake.)



Happy Baking!

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